Direction-indicator for motor-cars



H. H. GRAY.

DIRECTION '|ND|CATOR FOR MOTOR CARS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 18. 1916. RENEWED APR. 1,!921.

1,379,863. Patented. 31,1921;

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k H. H. GRAY,

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- IB. 1916- RENEWED APR- 7, 1921-.

Patented-May 31- 1921.

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DIRECTION-INDICATOR sofa Moron-cans. 1

1,379,863. Specification of Letters Patent. Pgrtgntgd ltiay .31, 921, Application filed November 18, 1918, Serial No. 132,212. Renewed April 7, 1921. Serial No. 459,337.-

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction- Indi -ators for Motor-Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to indicators for motor cars, and more especially to visual signals to apprise pedestrians in front and motor car drivers approaching or following a car equipped with an indicator, whether such car is to continue on or change its course, and. if a changein the line of travel is intended, in which direction the turn is to be made.

(hie object of the invention is to produce an indicator serviceable by day or night and for either or both ends of a car:- Another object is to produce an indicator, which at night, utilizes the tail lamp in cooperation with a direction lamp, to indicate the course of travel or in which direction a turn is to be made.

With these and other objects in view, as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which. I

Figure ,-is a front viewof a part of a motor car equipped with an indicator embodying the invention. 7

2, is a rea-r'view of the car.

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of the frame of'a car and also shows other parts thereof and an extra tire-holder at the rear end the car, said figure also showing a part of the indicator mechanism] Fig. 4, is a plan view of the controlling lever and a sector for cooperative use with said lever. f

Fi 5, is an enlarged vertical section on the line V-V of Fig. l.

Fig. 6, is an inverted plan view of the construction shown by Fig. 5. V

Fig. 7, is an enlarged section on the llne VII-VII of Fig. 2. I

In the said drawings, where like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 is the frame, 2 the body, 3 the radiator and 4 the steering column of of securing the" circular a motor car of any preferred type; 5 is a holder for an extra tire, said holder bemg of circular form and suitably supported at-the rear end of the body as common in many types of motor cars, 6 indicating a tire mountedon said holder. 7 is a crossbar for said tire-holder and arranged within the latter and concentrically thereof, is a circular guide frame 8, the same having a cross bar 9 adapted forsecurementqin any suitable manner to thecross bar/7 of the tire holder. Of course the particular method guide within the tire holder is unimportan Journaled injthe cross bars 7 and9 is a short shaft 10, a collar 11 thereon preventing rearward sliding movement by engagement with cross bar 9. A collar 12 is secured on said shaft at the'front side of the cross bar and to a finger 13 disposed radially of the circular guide 8, said finger having aspringclamp 1 1 engagingsa'id guide to assist shaft 10 in holding thev finger against accidental rotation. 7

15 is the usual tail lamp, the same being shown as secured at the rear end of the shaft 10 within a housing 16 provided with a preferably red lens 17. A lamp 18 is carried by the indicator finger near its outer end, within a housing 19, and said housing is provided withv a preferably green lens 20.

A circular guide 21 corresponding to guide 8, is arranged forward of the radia-tor 3' and is preferably secured to a ring 22 rigid with the radiator. The circular guide 21 is provided with across bar 23 correspondingto crossbar 9, and journaled in said cross bar and extending through the.

radiator 2, is a shaft 24:, and mounted on 1 the front end of said shaft is an indicator finger 25 equipped near its free end with a housed lamp 26, corresponding to parts 18, 19 and 20 and in this connection it is desired to state that the indicating fingers and '25'project in the same direction from their respective shafts.

27lis a short longitudinal shaft journaled in a suitable bearing bracket 28, attached to the steering column and said shaft is connected by a universal connection 30 with a short shaft 31' topermit the. latter to extend at an angle to shaft 27 if necessary. Shaft 31 is connected by a universal con-' nection 32 to the shaft 33, and the latter is connected by a universal connection 3 1, to

Shaft is connected in turn connection 36 with the front it being understood that the s 27, 31, S8 and 35, are mounted in suitable bearings, not shown, rigid with the frame 1.

Secured on the front end of shaft 27 is the steering column d, and journaleo at its lower end in bracket 28 and its upper end in bracket r8, clamped by a bearing cap 49, to the steering column below the steering, wheel, not shown. 7

The bracket l8 is provided with a sector having a shallow V-notch 51 midway its length, and with deeper V-notcl es and forward anu rearward respectively of shaft ii.

A controlling lever 54: is secured on the upper end of said shaft 4C7 to turn the same and is adapted to operate along the upper face of the sectr 50. l v hen the shaft occupies the position shown in i, the indicator fingers extend vertically downward. When the lever is moved forwardly to a portion over notch 52 the indicators are swung to the position shown in Figs, 1 and l r hen the lever is adjusted to ex:- tend over notch 53 of the sector the indicators are pointing to the left, When the fingers point downward the car should be either moving" straight ahead or stationary. When they point to the right it is an indication that var is to he tu ned in that direction and when they point to the left they indi ate that the intends to turn To secure the lever to the loft, against in:- cidcntal ini'u'cment v-ihcu in citler of the positions mentio ed pair of h and a I lever, one fitting slidably in said keepers is a latch bolt having a pointed or r-shaped front end 55) for engacement with either or" said not -hes of the sector or for sliding along; one edge or the sector bet veen the notches, A. spring; within the keepers tends to advance the latch bolt at all times so that it shalleuter the successively encountered notches asthe lever is swung along the sector.

W hen the controlling lever 54 is in nori SGSll (1 t Hinal position, the indicating fingers are vertical and hence indicate that a direct line of travel'is to be followed. When the lever is adjusted to dispose the latch bolt in engagement with either of the notches, it indicates the fingers are in position to apprise pedestrians and others that the car is to make a turn. The lamp 15 may constitute the regular tail lamp and may be an oil lamp or an electric lamp. The same is true of the direction indicating lamps 18.

"it will be obvious that if it is desired to set the indicating fingers at a point indieating that the car 1s to be brought to rest, the sector may be provided with an additional deep notch for the reception of the latch bolt, such notch serving the purpose of holding the lever where set, the extra notch for convenience of illustration being indicated at 75.

' From the above description it will be apparent that l have produced a direction indicator for motor cars embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and-l wish it to be understood that while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a direction indicator for motor cars, a circular holder having a cross-bar, a circular guide trame concentrically within the holder and also provided with a cross-bar, a shaft iournaled in the said cross-bars, a finger on said shaft, yielding means to prevent accidental movement or" the finger by engagement with the cir ular guide, a lamp secured to said shaft, a lamp carried by the linger for movement thereby in a circular direction, and means "for imparting rotation to said shalt; said lamps being of contrasting colors.

2. In a direction indirator for motor cars, a circular holder having cross-bar, a circu r guide {mine conceutricaily within the hr (,lcr and also provided with a 'crossdiiar, a shaft iournaled in said crossbars, a on sa d shaft, a A clasp secured to the a and sli iinn'lv e aging the e cular guide to preven of the fever, alamp seaured to said sha a lamp carried by the finger or movement thereby in circular direction, and means for imparting rotation to said shaft to cause the amp carried by the finger to travel circularly around the other lamp, the lamps being of contrasting colors. V

In testimony whereof 1 Hill my signs, ture in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY H. 

